Living a Dream
by NicolaPie
Summary: Anthony is saved by a stranger from the opposing faction, only to discover that she is just more than a stranger


Living a Dream

The rain was growing violent in Hillsbrad Foothills, and it wasn't making the traveling any easier for Anthony. Blood was seeping through his poorly bandaged wounds, and the harsh weather was exaggerating the pain in his bruised arms. Walking over the foothills, he tried to shallow his breathing, but his broken ribs were pulsing with pain.

He let out a cry of anguish as he fell to his knees, his broken ribs slamming into the ground. Unbearable pain quaked through his body as he gasped for air, the pain knocking the wind out of him. Too tired, and in too much pain, he decided to lay there until whenever. Hopefully somebody would help him and take him back to Southshore. There were travelers in Hillsbrad Foothills all the time.

Weren't there?

Anthony mentally cursed at himself. Who would be out at this type of weather? And who would even be in Hillsbrad Foothills? It was dangerous. Wild animals were everywhere, such as the one that attacked Anthony and caused him a near death experience. He shut his eyes and inhaled slowly, and exhaled at the same pace, careful not to jolt more pain through his ribs. His ears were starting to feel hot. The pain was making his body sweat.

_This is dangerous,_ he thought to himself. The rain was only growing stronger, and his linen shirt was starting to dampen, from sweat and the rain. _I'm going to die here…_ The feeling of desperation and fear dawned on Anthony as reality hit him like a punch to the chest. His muscles readied to bring him up to his feet, but his ribs declined. _I'm in so much pain.._

At that moment, soft foot steps were heard just ten feet away from him. His muscles stiffened. He was surprised he was even able to hear them, since the rain drowned out all other sounds. It meant that whatever or whoever it was, was close. _Just play dead._ He told himself,_You'll be dead soon anyways._ He closed his eyes, his dry lips twitching. Rain continued to pour down on his face as he heard the footsteps close to him stop abruptly.

Anthony forced himself to open his eyes, and just ten feet away, was greeted by a forsaken female, fumbling with a peace bloom, carefully taking it out of the grass. Naturally, Anthony would recoil in fear and disgust.. But something about her. He sensed her aura was more of sorrow and regret rather than hate.

She turned her head.

She was looking right at him now.

Her eyes were hallow. Black. She had an artificial iron jaw, he guessed her jaw had fallen off. Her skin was a pasty white color, rotting and decaying slowly… Her hair was long, black, and in tangles, almost looking like seaweed from the rain.

She got up from her sitting position and walked towards Anthony. Anthony's jaws locked. Fear started to rise up and pulse in his head. _GET UP, SHE'S GOING TO KILL YOU._

But he stayed lying down, his hazel eyes glued onto her. She knelt by his side, and stared at his body blankly. Her eyes stopped abruptly at his wounds. She then opened her rune cloth bag, and pulled out what seemed to look like a healing potion. She held it up to Anthony's lips and nodded to him. He rested his head on her bony hand, his head now tilted, making it easier for him to drink it.

His eyes still glued onto her, he slowly began to drink, his throbbing migraine went away, and he was feeling slightly better. She layed the empty vial next to her in the grass, and dug inside her rune cloth bag again, pulled out mage weave bandages.

She attempted to fumble with the bandage on Anthony's arm.

"No!" Anthony hissed.

The undead sat there, her empty black eyes sinking into his. _What am I doing? She could kill me! I'm already injured, it'll make it easier for her.. But she just helped me._

"I'm sorry." Anthony whispered, knowing that the Undead probably couldn't understand him. "I'm sorry." he repeated.

For about another minute, the girl continued to stare at him. Again, she started to fumble with his bloody bandages. She skillfully took it off, and firmly wrapped the mage weave bandage around his bleeding arm. Anthony winced in pain, and the girl put a bony finger up to her iron jaw, signaling him to be quiet.

In less than five minutes, she had him wrapped in new, clean bandages that were starting to get wet from the rain. He would have to run to Southshore soon, if he was able to with a broken ribcage. But she had wrapped the bandage around him tightly, so he guessed he'd be okay.

"Who are you?" He asked. Obviously, she wouldn't be able to respond.

She stared at him for what seemed like hours, until she rolled up her robe sleeve and showed him a silver bracelet. Rusty letters were embroidered into the bracelet. Raquel. The bracelet he had gotten his wife more than five years ago. His wife who disappeared and left him forlorn.

Anthony stared at the bracelet, years and years of memorabilia flooding into his mind. Tears were starting to pour out of his eyes along with the rain. "Raquel?" He croaked. "Raquel… What happened to you."

The forsaken, his wife, sat there, unable to show any emotion.

"Raquel…" He croaked again. "Raquel." He was now sobbing violently, and crawling into her bony lap, crying into her dark robe, ignoring all the pain he felt in his body. "Raquel…"

He felt cold metal on his fore-head. He looked up at Raquel, now just an inch away from her face. She had just planted a kiss on his forehead. He smiled. She stood up.

"Raquel don't leave.."

She stared at him for a couple of moments. So many things were probably on her mind. Things she was just _dying_ to say to him.. But she was unable to. She turned away, and walked off into the hazy foothills, the misty rain swallowing her . Trying to ignore the desperate cries from her former husband, she walked faster. She closed her eyes. _He still loves me…_


End file.
